Electric Bikes - Electric bikes for commuting?

I just found this great electric bike website, http://www.electric-bikes.com/ ... After spending a good 30min reading the information there, and checking out the links & makers on that site, i need to ask you all, what are your thoughts on electric bikes for commuting? Do you think as more electric bikes come out, that more people will purchase them to commute? Some of the bikes listed there will go 25+ mph for 10+ miles, or 15mph for 20 miles, the more you pedel, the faster you go, and the longer the range.

As for cost, they range from $750 - $3000. Cost per recharge? get this, only five cents! No liscensing costs, registration, and insurance requirements!

What are your thoughts? I think that in the next few years we will see more and more of these electric bikes on the road.

The cost of the eBike (http://www.ebike.com/24_touring.html) touring model: $1,400
The cost of an average priced car: $13,500
Monthly cost of eBike: $20 ($.40 per recharge + maintenance)
Monthly cost of a car: $200 (insurance + gas + maintenance)

Hmm, i cant see why more people dont bike commute, i know most if not all forum readers here dont own an electric bike, but i really can see in the next 5 years more and more people picking up an eBike and commuting, huge price savings, get out side, have fun, and sometimes its faster to work! (no traffic jams)

[Edited by Joe Gardner on Dec 29th at 07:40 PM]

What if work is more than 20 miles away, or the distance from home to work and back is more than 20 miles, is there a road side charger kit or a backup, and could u charge it at work???

...and it's great! i do think more people will try these bikes and get hooked. in japan and europe they are used more frequently than here in the states (probably because we have such a "car culture" here). people would still need to deal with all the problems of bike commuting on roadways just as they would with a regular bike, which may be why more people aren't using them yet. but my feeling is that because of the extra oopmh on electric bikes, it's easier for novices to deal with traffic.

my electric bike is actually a kit ($600) that i attached to a mountain bike, but the same electric motor and drivetrain is available on a low-end mountain bike for less than $900.

of the models i tested (giant lafree, iacocca's e-bike, and us pro drive), us pro drive had the most power and best options. on this bike the motor is completely optional. there is no drag when you are not using it, so you can work as hard as you want to. (and i do mean hard. with the battery these bikes weigh about 60 pounds). however, because of the weight, it's very hard not to use the motor is some situations, like starting on hills. overall i probably save about 30 mintues over 15 miles on a very hilly route using the electric bike over a non-road specific bike, and the ride is moderate instead of intense. i can easily ride 10+ miles each way on top of my 8-10 work hours and not be totally spent by the time i get home. (of course, this depends on how i ride - like i said, you can work hard on these bikes, and sometimes i like to be spent!)

but you won't be an automatic speed demon on these bikes. here in WA there's a law limiting the top speed electric bikes can acheive at 18 mph. once you and the bike together reach 18 mph, the motor will shut off, and you're on your own until you get below 18 mph again. it really only acheives that kind of speed on flats (with work from me) or descents. and i've been passed going up hills on the eletric bike by racers in training.

anyway, if anyone has more electric bike questions, let me know. i've owned one for more than a year and it's a great commuting bike. before i got it my commute (26 miles rt) was sort of here and there when i was up for it, but with the electric bike i can do it every single day... actually getting more time on the bike.



[Edited by junebride on Jan 2nd at 01:55 PM]

Electric bicycles intrigue me, but there are still some flaws to be overcome (in my opinion): weigh too much; maximum distance too short; battery needs replacing after so many recharges; may not allow speeds greater than 15 or 20 mph. But the main reason I can't quite appreciate them yet is that I can't picture myself not pedalling up those hills.

Welcome to the forums Pete, I have enjoyed reading your posts today. I hope you will stick around to share your opinion on these forums :)

Im not sure where i read this, but over 75% of car trips, are less then 3 miles from the home, and of those, over half only have one person in the car, the driver! Could you imagine how much money people would save, how healthy people would be, how clean the air would be, how quite our cities would be if these people would ride a bike? I think this is where the use of electric bikes will really shine, there's a huge market for it, if people do the math, the bike would basically be free after a year of use! Im seriously considering selling my truck so I can purchase a new road bike... it will save me $4,000.00+ a year. The only downside to not having a car / truck for me, is dating, and the occasional big trip to Salt Lake City (50 miles away). And the fact that I couldn't use the Carl's Jr drive thru. As of right now, the only reason I have a truck that i can think of, is social status! How pathetic is that? If i can find a job within 15miles of my house, im going to sell my truck, and purchase a new road bike, my mtn bike is just too much work to commute with :)

Sorry for going off topic ...

The Italian motorbike company Aprilla is making an electric bike powered by a methanol fuel cell. This is really the way to go for portable power. Fuel cells have a power density about 1000x that of batteries, and can be refuelled, so running out is not a problem.
Electric bikes always seem to be such shoddy affairs, built like the worst toy-store bike with inefficient power units.

Electricity wont tempt me whilst I can still pedal, but I can see the attraction.

Thank you, Mr. Gardner, for making me feel welcome!

First time here!

I have recently become interested in electric vehicles. I have looked in new ones (OUCH $30+ here in Canada). Conversions are also expensive. Then I came across electric bikes and conversion kits. I have done a little research into the subject and they seem like the prime vehicle for me. I currently spend $160 mo in gas to go to work and it is only about 10-15km from home. I would still keep the car, but use the bike for work.

I am more interested in a conversion kit. I have a Kuahara (sp) mountain bike . . . an older one, that I would consider converting.

Anyone had any experience? I'm pretty green to this . . . I'm not even sure what components are needed.

Anyhoo . . . cany anyone help me out.

loyal, i found this link on conversion kits for you:

http://www.currietech.com/e-conversionkit.html

this is the kit i use on my electric-assisted commuter bike (specialized hardrock). like i said in my post above, i've been pleased with it. really makes the commute fun, easy, and enjoyable.

one thing to note is, if you have a small-framed mtb, say under 19", you may need to mount the battery pack on a rear rack instead of the seat tube (as pictured elsewhere on currie's site). but this won't affect your ride - simply shifts your center of gravity back a bit.

in terms of your commute, it sounds like you can make a rt on a single charge, but if you find you can't, fast chargers (4-5 hours to full charge) are available for about $80 for re-charging at work. the kit itself does come with a charger - a slow charger (11-12 hours) for overnight charging.

the kit comes with everything you need to convert your bike (including directions). but unless you have an excess of tools, patience, and skill, well - i recommend taking it to a shop to do the install, or even locating a shop before you begin. there's a dealer locater on currie's site. that way you can test ride and also begin a relationship with the local electric vehicle shop - you'll be back for service eventually (unless you do it yourself, because of the electric drivetrain on the rear wheel, there are some procedures that only the e-shop will be able to handle for you).

-jb

Hey, jb. I am seeing something, now. wait, it's getting clearer...hmmm. If I converted a bike into an electric one,
and used it as a backup bike, I could ride everyday without worrying about overtraining. Also, I could use it to go
everywhere else (store, etc.) after work when my commute has me pretty much spent for cycling.

So you have a lot of positive experience with the "direct drive" design of the US Pro Drive? (I always wondered about "Zap" motors, the way they use tire friction to drive it). How many miles (or months/years) have you driven
yours?

You know, sometimes I feel like a horse might feel. I need to rest in between workouts.

i've had the kit for about a year and a half, and while there have been some problems with the kit here and there, i've been very happy with the service i've gotten from my local ev shop in combination with the warranties offered by currie. and after testing various models this one stood out as having the most power/hill-climbing torque and highest top speeds. plus i wanted a bike where the motor was optional (not all are built this way, for ex. the giant lafree).

i average around 350-400 miles a month on this bike.

although i would love to use the bike for my daily here-and-there stuff, i haven't found a way to lock it to my satisfaction, so i don't take the risk. (it comes into my office with me at work and inside at home.) but i live in an urban area where bike theft is a huge problem. for me, the locking issue is because i ride a small frame bike, and the battery pack sits on a rear rack, instead of on the seat tube. if you can fit it on the seat tube (the standard install) i believe there is a battery-locking system. the motor and drivetrain are bolted well enough on so that wouldn't be a cause for concern. although a skilled thief can steal anything.

you're right - you could use this bike whenever and not worry about overtraining. it's a heavy bike (maybe 60 pounds all in), so if you want to hammer your heart out without the motor engaged, you will get an anerobic workout like no other. but obviously the point for most commuters is to be able to have a more moderate, every day ride, and still have the ooph for both work and whatever else you have planned later on.

-jb

Hi,


I have no experience with electric bikes but I have been using (and member of an e list) electric scooters which is a somewhat similar technology.

To answer your question, the cost per recharge is almost null although batteries tend to get old reasonably quickly (say 3-9 months depending) and are not inexpensive to replace. Chargers can be heavy and difficult to carry so you need to ensure a sufficient range for the commute.

The main downside of an electric bike is that they are really quite heavy which makes them (in my opinion) difficult to move when not using the engine. Also, keep in mind that most of the time manufacturers claim regarding speed and range are widely exagerated. Other problems are: batteries can be stolen form the bike which makes locking a little problematic. In some states and countries, electric bicycles are considered motorized vehicles and require a driving license and an insurance (but no insurance does insure them).


My take on electric bike is that for the price you are better off getting a GOOD bike. Spend $700 or more on a bike and you will feel that these hills get really easy to climb. And since it is muscle powered, you never need to be afraid to run out of batteries. I considered an ebike but when with the entry level good bike option recently and I am very happy with it. E bikes are cool for really unfit people who don't want to hear about cycling all the way though.

Whatever you decide keep in mind that an electric bike will be about the same speed and run at the very best for 45 min without recharge.

I have been following this thread with a certain amount of interest. Auxiliary power could certainly be handy in some situations. It could allow individuals with a disability that precludes regular cycling to ride a bike. It could also assist those who want to ride but need a little help initially until their conditioning improves.

One way or another, every responsibly ridden bicycle of any configuration used for commuting increases our community and makes more people aware of the need for more bicycle-friendly infrastructure.

Before I started riding regularly and commuting I thought it would be nice to have more bike paths. Now I realize that is not nearly enough. We need "bikeways", by which I mean routes, whether paths or safe streets, that encourage people to ride - to work, to shop, to dine, whatever. I firmly believe in "Same road. Same rules. Same rights." But I am convinced that more people would ride if they could feel safer about it. As more people ride anything our voices will grow.

Wow! Where did that come from? Actually, what I was going to mention was that I have seen an interesting little device that clamps to the handlebars and has a motor/battery/headlight unit that drives the front wheel by a friction roller. I think is was a Damark catalog. I was intrigued. Easily installed/removed/moved to another bike. Nominal one hour run time, 12 mph. Cost about $150. Looked like a relatively inexpensive way to try out electric.
Regards,
Raymond

Aren't electric bikes more popular in many countries outside the USA? I could see why they would be. Here in the USA we turn our nose up at anything that does not reach 100 mph.

Funny, many of us feel "safer" the more power our engine has. My aunt told me once that she got a new car "with more guts", as she put it, because that made her feel more in control. I thought that the faster you went, the more likely it was you would never return.

Didn't Honda come out with a gas/electric "hybrid" car, available here in the US?

"Aren't electric bikes more popular in many countries outside the USA? "


I have family in Belgium. The price of gas has gotten so high that it has prompted quite a few people to seek alternative means of transport (so maybe it is not such a bad thing after all ;) ). Apparently there has been a few more bikes and electric bikes around (not that many though). Allegedly, it is not uncommon to see civil servant working for the EU to move around with a push scooter. Electric bikes are legal in Belgium (and UK. I don't know about all other countries).


"Funny, many of us feel "safer" the more power our engine has."

Recently on TV there are mention of a report that found 'big' car safer. Safer for the driver of course, not the pedestrian being run over. There is really a completely s***ed up perception of safety among the non enlightened masses (sic).

Pete,
I believe that is the Honda Insight. I will be interested to see how they do. I have always wondered why there was not more effort to develop the hybrid configuration.
Raymond

Th Honda Insight and Toyota Prius are the 2 "big" electric/hybrid vehicles on the market. The Honda is a 2+ while the Toyota seats 4. Here in Canada they are both $30K+.

I have noticed 3 e bike systems: 1/ friction-motor presses against the tire and spins the tire, 2/ the hub mounted 700amp versions (not sure how it turns the wheel) & 3/ motor turns crank (no manual assist).

I was off one day last week so I dropped into Motor Vehicle Inspection to inquire if an e bike would require licencing to operate on the roadway. They looked at me really weird . . . discussed it among themselves . . . and didn't know, but were interested themselves. They are lookin into it for me.

For you guys in the US . . . just came across this article on "new" legislation on e bikes.

http://www.autonet.ca/autonetstories/stories.cfm?storyID=1713


Loyal

Law and ebikes.

Here in NM, I called the Motor Vehicle Department once about it and they said "Electric bicycle? I did not know such thing existed". However, I studied the question a bit and here, there are no law for these devices in particular which means that they tend to fall into the category of motorized vehicles, hence requiring license + insurance. I used to belong to several eletric scooter newsgroups that debated the topic (regional legislation) at length.

In CA (and perhaps some other states) these vehicles are the object of a special law and are legal and the same applies in some other countries.

However, even when technically illegal, the police is seldom interested in them, although you are taking a gamble since driving without insurance (and perhaps without license ) is a pretty serious offense. There was a kid in that group who got arrested for driving a zappy electric-scooter and charged with driving without license and without insurance. Some other members had problems with authorities as well.

Just read the link posted: that is good news! But as the article implies, until the law is passed, technically if there are no law for it in your state, it probably classify as motorized vehicle. Be aware that no insurance (I believe) is willing to insure these devices either.

In my state, Georgia, it is considered a bicycle as long as it's maximum motor speed is about 15 or 20 (?) mph (I forget the exact speed).

The internet is a wonderful tool for reasearching laws that often, many police did not know about. Check out your state's laws (and print some to carry with you) in case some officers want to stop you.

I'm not sure where it was posted, but Cambronne said that a policeman stopped him on his bicycle (not electric) and told him he had to get off "his road". Cambronne was armed with a printed version of the law, which he showed the officer, who responded with, "I'll be watching you", and drove away.

To be fair, I've never had that kind of problem.

in my state (WA), electric bikes are treated basically as bikes. no driver's license or insurance required, and they're allowed on multipurpose paths or bike lanes. however the law states that you must be 16 or over to ride one, and the bike itself must have a limited motor output, no greater than 1000w and the motor cannot propel the bike over 18 mph. (you can propel the bike faster than that, of course, you just have to do it without the help of the motor.)

in response to papteebooh's post, my experience is that the speed and range of the bike (referring to the particular model i use) seems accurate to the manufacturer's specs. this particular bike will travel 25 miles, about 2 hours over hilly terrain, tested on my rt commute, on a single charge. that's with human assistance throughout though. they do need to recharged each time though, unless you're going very short distances - but these bikes are more of an answer for longer commutes.

yes, they are very heavy bikes - you can't get away with not using the motor at starts or on hills (or starting on hills, especially). but as a heavy bike, they have good momentum and you can get away with not using the motor on the flats.

in my opinion, there's quite a few possible benefical reasons to use one - commuting is just one. i think they have more potential apps than just a toy "for really unfit people." but as with any bike, riding one regularly will improve your fitness. if it fits your particiular situation/commute/transportation need, it's a nice win-win situation.

and another benefit to having these bikes on the road - cars get exposure to fast cyclists. i ride responsibly at all times, but because of the greater acceleration of the ebike i am able to take the lane when needed, make speedy lefts thru large intersections, and assert my position on the road. that's a benefit for all cyclists on the road.

junebride . . . the system that you use attaches to the rear hub . . . correct? Does it use friction to power the rear wheel or is there another sprocket added to the hub to which the motor is hooked via a chain?

Junebride will answer this, but I wanted to stab at it: I think it's an internal hub motor.

hmm... let me see if i can answer this, not being very well versed in the mechanics of the thing. there is a separate small motor and drivetrain/freewheel that is attached to the hub of the rear wheel opposite the rear cassette. power through the motor is controlled with a thumb throttle up top, and that moves the secondary drivetrain (which is a short little chain on a tiny one gear freewheel). power is transferred thru the hub to accelerate the rear wheel. or so it appears. haven't not taken the thing apart (the motor is safely sealed away and the drivetrain is not fully exposed) i have to admit i'm not entirely certain just how it works.

-jb

edit to original post - i just found a link on ebicycles.com that show the motor set-up and explains a little more about how the rear chain drive works:

http://www.ebicycles.com/ebicycles/chtuspd.htm

they also have other electric bikes on the site with other types of drive (hub and friction motors), for those interested in what's currently out there.

Thanks jb . . .

Where I am "new" to the bike scene . . . my bike termonology is a little rough. I have had my Kuahara (sp) for almost 8 years and have only ridden it occasionally. Now that Judie and I have adopted a chemical free/natural lifestyle my interest in biking has grown. . . I just have to build up my two-wheeled and EV vocab.

I'll check out the site.

It is time to resurect this thread again.

I am seeing more and more electric assist bicycles being used outside of the USA these days.

Still, I have not seen many of these in my area.

How about you guys. Are you seeing electric bicycles these days?

Never

Thanks for the resurrection.

The topic is quite interesting.

I see these things a lot along the beach. Mostly purpose built jobs that look like mopeds. I think that some business rents them or something because the riders are all white (as in 'not tan') and giggley (as in 'laughing').

Although the bike paths that I frequent are for non motorized vehicles, no one seems to mind the ebikes at all.

The ones I see aren't that fast but then again the riders aren't working hard.

The kits are intriguing

After looking at one of these contraptions, a few things concern me:
They really are no faster than a bike, so the only advantage is for people who aren't in very good shape. However, you HAVE to pedal to get assist. Seems a bit contradictory, but at least the rider has to do SOMETHING.
Once the battery dies, you are left with a VERY heavy bike, and one with lousy gearing, no less. Nobody is going to ride one of these things up a hill once the battery dies, anyway.
I think that an electric motorbike would make more sense, in the long run.

I have said this before, but here it is again.

I can see how an electric bike might take away from the whole "human powered" aspect of cycling. For me, I enjoy being the engine, and getting stronger with use.

But after a long day of working and bike commuting (almost 30 miles), I think it would be cool to hop on an electric bike, rather than jump in a car, to do some errands at the store. ;)

Electric bikes are still far cheaper to operate than any motor vehicle. Also, for the most part they are considered bikes, not mopeds, so they are allowed everywhere bikes are, and don't need insurance, license, tax, tag, title, blah...

Think about this: you can charge your battery at work, just by plugging it into the wall. This will rob your employer of as much as several pennies. :)

If it weren't for the legal aspect of limiting electric bikes to 15 or 20 mph. max speed, I would love to see an electric bike that used it's motorized assistance for attaining higher speeds in combination with pedaling.

If it weren't for the legal aspect of limiting electric bikes to 15 or 20 mph. max speed, I would love to see an electric bike that used it's motorized assistance for attaining higher speeds in combination with pedaling. [/B]


I looked at the issue a while back and there are some mopeds and even a motocycle that are 100% electric. The motorcycle is made by zappy (they are more famous for their electric scooters) but there are a few companies doing that.

I guess the main put off for me is to loose the self-sustainability of cycling. Cycling don't run out of gas (or batteries), their batteries don't get old, they are also simple machine while I can see how even a basic repair on an electric motorcycle could mean waiting until parts get shipped from out of state.

I saw somebody with an electric bike recently and this thing looked damn heavy.

Originally posted by PapeteeBooh
I saw somebody with an electric bike recently and this thing looked damn heavy.
Yes, the lead-acid battery weighs about as much as my bike.

Also their performance degrade sensibly over time :(

Hi all

Just noticed this thread ,intrigued me because only yesterday .
I came across this old guy on a trycycle with a neat electric power unit stored above his rear axel
I had a short chat with him as we traveled , it seems he was a cyclist of venerable age who could no longer maintain the strength to use pedals on a consistent bases , but he could not live without cycling and this was the perfect compromise!.
It was great to see the way the small motor rode it up a not insubastantial incline .
This is the way to go!
willic

In Australia :

Powered bicycles are classified as bicycles, provided 'the auxillary motor does not have power exceeding 200 watts' (quote from legislation).

Bicycles (incl. powered) are not speed limited.

The legislation doesn't define what the motor has to be or what type of power is used.

Does 200w power refer to :
- BHP, the power produced by the motor (this is an obsolete term).
- HP (rated) the average HP delivered to the wheel (what is used for cars). OR
- rated drain. The average amount of battery power an electric motor drains ?

In UK :

Powered bicycles are treated as bicycles, provided they have an auxillary motor not exceeding 200w, the motor delivers no power beyond 25 km/h, and the whole unit does not weigh more than 44 pounds.

That is cheating. you are disqualified. Does not count. The fuel source must human powered only.

I recently returned from 3 weeks vacation in the UK, where electric bikes seem quite popular. In addition to the price of petrol (about $4.50 per US gal), traffic congestion in the towns and the lack of car parking facilities are factors that favour their use.

The most popular model that i saw was like a ladies bike with a split upper downtube, which made a space to carry the battery. The battery could be removed when it was parked.

Actually, in urban/suburban sprawl, those who do not live in close proximity either to work or shopping have limited potential for making a complete substitution of driving with cycling. I commute about 30 miles to work on my bike, but I don't see myself using the bike for literally everything.

An electric bike is not really a bad idea for running those extra errands when you have already put in a long cycling day, but don't want to use the car. Anything that reduces automobile use
is a plus. (And you can still pedal, if you want.)

And an electric bike still needs no tax, tag, insurance, license, gasoline...darn cheap!

I'm glad I did a search and found this discussion as I had read the negative comments on this thread (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=26147) and was pretty turned off :(

I ride an electric-assist bike and consider myself a cyclist. I ride my electric bike 10X more than I ever rode my pedal bike and have replaced 90% of my car trips with the electric bike and a trailer. I use my electric bike for transportation, and pleasantly, I am also in better shape too! I can ride to work, appointments, the store, etc...in regular clothes and not be sweaty, or I can ride hard and get a good workout. It is like a treadmill with a difficulty dial except I get to move around the city!

I'm posting this because many cyclists look down their noses at electric bikes. I am really glad that our gracious host, and many others here, are more open minded and accomodating. As I said, I'm in my car way less because of electric bikes, and in my mind, this can only be a good thing...right?

Wow! The thread that just won't die!

;)

Yeah, the idea is to get people off cars and into other forms of alternative transportation. Having an electric bike would be a better option than having a car. I had no idea you could actually RIDE the electric bike as a regular bike, as well as chug around the city using the motor. It would help for people with disabilities, or older folks, or just people who are not as into cycling. I bet with more electric bikes that have the option to actually pedal, we'd see more people using the option to pedal, and a new cyclist is born!

Do they make electric recumbents yet?

Koffee

Koffee,
Try
www.semifusion.com

An electric recumbent can be made in a couple of ways. I have been thinking about this for some time. One would be with a Currie
www.evdeals.com/PowerKits.htm

Or top of the line would be Heinzman, check out
www.wisechat.com/carl/e-bikes.htm

What are your thoughts on these?

The only problem with electric bikes as someone pointed out are theft, valdalism and rain. I was thinking about getting an electric bike once but there's not a single place that's safe enough and sheltered where I can park this expensive machine. I like the concept although and could really benefit from one.

I've only seen two people with electric bikes around my way.

Person 1 ---- He has a huge CAR BATTERY attached under his mountain bike and that cycle can MOVE! He zoomed past me the other day like I was standing still. Amazing. Unfortunately, he doesn't bike commute with this Ebike and takes it out rarely.

Person 2 ---- This person had a folding Ebike and used it to get it on the trains! He amazed me so much that I followed him like a rock star since he had the guts (and I mean GUTS!) to fold this Ebike in two pieces while rolling it on one wheel along the platform using the handlebars and board a PACKED train headed for New York City. Everyone on the tain was staring at this guy and I watched from the corner of my eye that he couldn't care less. Bicycles are not allowed on Path Trains headed for New York City but folding bikes were the exemption. (At least for a while) This was before 9/11 and I'm not sure he can do this today but I was his fan for a day!

I like the SPARC unit from Sram as my choice for Electric Bikes.

http://www.sram.com/product/featured/sparc/index.asp


In New York City, electric and gas powered bicycles are illegal and the fines are huge if your caught riding in the streets. The police are taking these electric scooters away from kids since they have been declared illegal by the current administration. :mad:

I like the idea of an electric assist on a truly bike-able bike.

I you just had a little push to eccelerate from stopped to full speed or help going up hills, or add about three to five miles per hour, it would make bicycle commuting a lot more practical for many people.

Of course, the full fledged electric scooter is available, but has anyone seen a production bicycle with electric assist that is practical ie, it doesn't way so much or have such goofy geometry that you have to rely on the motor?

While I have never ridden it, the Giant LAFree Lite (http://www.electricvehiclesnw.com/main/lite.htm) is supposed to be a pretty rideable bike.

In most other parts of the world (well, Europe and Japan), electric bikes are only allowed to be of the pedal-assist type, aka. "pedelecs". These bikes don't have a throttle but instead use a torque sensor to detect pressure on the pedals, such as when starting out or climbing hills. The effect is that the bike gets up to speed quickly (awesome for traffic) and hills are flattened out. There is no power unless the rider is pedaling, but a rider in a hilly locale can pedal like they were in Amsterdam and not San Francisco.

On the more sophisticated bikes like the Giant LA Free Lite and the Merida PowerCycle (my bike), the motor actually drives through the internally geared rear hub, adding significant mechanical advantage. There is no additional drag created by the motor, so both these bikes pedal like normal bicycles when un-powered (though a little heavier).

Yeah, theft does suck. That being said, the market for hot electric bikes is pretty limited at this point, and my bike actually has a key that can be removed when parked. I bought the best lock I could afford, practice safe locking, and so far so good. On the good bikes, rain isn't an issue.

I've seen electric bikes in a couple of places, and, like so much bike gear, they fascinated me. I've not ridden one, but I'd like to try. There may be a market in the U.S. for these things, but as there have been noteworthy attempts to launch electric bike lines-- perhaps most famously so from Lee Iacoca, the erstwhile CEO of Chrysler-- without much success it may well be that Americans won't buy many electric bikes.

I don't much care one way or the other whether the e-bikes succeed. I'm not all that enthusiastic about restricting car traffic, as some people here are. (I make exceptions for urban centers with very high traffic.) But more people on e-bikes might be a nice thing, I guess.

I wasn't interested in buying one myself because the bikes were heavy and expensive, but their performance enhancements were quite modest relative to these costs in my view.

I know a couple of older people who bought these bikes and really liked them, though.

Hey all.. well, not sure how I feel about this one. After seeing the Segway released in Canada, I'm starting to feel that we're growing into a Lazy Nation. Do we need a power assisted bicycle? Do we need a standing cart (Segway)? Looking at this, I think just one more thing to fail in the winter, and then you're stuck pedalling it anyway! Maybe this bike has it's place, but I just think it's contributing to our fast-food EZ-Everything lifestyle... Just my thoughts...

Joe

Couple of points:

1) Winter in Vancouver is pretty different than winter in Kanata ;)
2) I certainly feel less lazy on my pedal-assist electric bike than I did sitting in the Civic - I use my electric bike for transportation as do most of the youngish people I know that have one. Older folks use them for recreation and exercise.

I guess my feelings are this: Not everyone can or will ride a pedal bike or walk to work. It just isn't gonna happen. If riding a Segway to and from the train, or an electric bike 10 or 15 K to work gets even some people out of their cars sometimes, I think our cities will be happier, healthier more pleasant places to live.

Originally posted by mekki
I guess my feelings are this: Not everyone can or will ride a pedal bike or walk to work. It just isn't gonna happen. If riding a Segway to and from the train, or an electric bike 10 or 15 K to work gets even some people out of their cars sometimes, I think our cities will be happier, healthier more pleasant places to live.

I agree that not everybody can ride everywhere. However, I'm still yet to be convinced that the "Ginger/Segway/whatever it's called this week" will get anybody out of their car. If anything, it's only going to result in bigger cars so that the lazy can carry it to the carpark and ride it the 300 metres or so instead of walking.

And as a walker, I'm still not keen on the idea of these things running down people on the footpath.

Originally posted by mekki
[B]Couple of points:

1) Winter in Vancouver is pretty different than winter in Kanata ;)
2) I certainly feel less lazy on my pedal-assist electric bike than I did sitting in the Civic - I use my electric bike for transportation as do most of the youngish people I know that have one. Older folks use them for recreation and exercise.


Good point.. yeah, I suppose Ottawa (Kanata) is a bad winter to use as the baseline.. :) I know when I lived out West, it was not the winters that killed me, it was the hills! How does the Electric bike handle them? Generally Elec. engines are very tourquee (Is that even a word?) so it would look like they would handle hills, just slowly... Oh, and for the Civic, or any car, yes, your absolutly right!

I guess this is a Too-each-their-own product eh?

Joe